LeBron James and J.R. Smith

Pictures of LeBron James reacting to what happened in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ opening game of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors have gone viral, much to LeBron’s dismay.

The Cavs had a chance to get a win on the defending champs’ home court, but they let the game slip away. With just a few seconds left in regulation, George Hill had a chance to put Cleveland ahead, but he missed the second of two free throws. J.R. Smith grabbed the rebound for the Cavs, however, he thought that his team was in the lead, so he passed up an easy shot, the clock expired and the Cavs were forced to play overtime.

Between the fourth quarter and overtime, James’ body language could not hide his disgust and dismay with his teammates’ performance. His reaction was played over and over on television and social media, leading him to lament the presence of cameras in that situation.

Leaders have to be careful how they act in crucial situations. In LeBron’s case, the game was not over. It was tied up, and his team theoretically had just as much a chance as their opponents to win in overtime. But with his negative response to unfortunate circumstances, LeBron cast a huge shadow of gloom and despair on his team for the remainder of the game, and his team went on to lose.

Christian leaders could learn from this. Things won’t always go our way. Sometimes those around us will let us down in a big way. While there are times when a rebuke or correction is needed, our overall demeanor in a time of crisis should be one of calm assurance that victory is within our grasp. Our teammates will feed off of our attitude and perform their tasks much better.

The Game isn’t over until Jesus returns, and when he returns we will be revealed as the true winners. Until that happens, let’s act like winners.

“Do not quench the Spirit.”—1 Thessalonians 5:19.